


The Akashi Problem

by Tsukirai



Series: The Cocktail of Problems [5]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-03
Updated: 2012-12-03
Packaged: 2017-11-20 04:55:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/581517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tsukirai/pseuds/Tsukirai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Confronting Akashi was the scary part, but it was the rest of the group of 8 turning into animals and Akashi turning into a lion that really surprised them. Who could have done it and what is the secret towards the animal transformations?  Slight Aokise, Kagakuro, Midotaka, and Murahimu. Fluff and slight mentions of sex</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Akashi Problem

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Kurobas doesn't belong to me
> 
> This part of the story is kind of like a prologue (that takes up half of the plot) for the next bit (which are the bits where the rest of them transforms)
> 
> I'm not sure if Akashi is in-character, because I couldn't even put Kuroko in-character and Akashi is kinda similar to Kuroko so I'm taking the high-and-mighty-god-but-still-human noble look for Akashi.
> 
> I've also made Kise into a less wimpy person in my personal opinion by making not so stereotypical (in a way) because I feel that he's too much of a wuss and that he can actually be quite playful and sly and aggressive.

"Shin-chan!" Takao whined, "I don't wanna go!" Pouting while shoving his hands into his jean pockets, Takao walked beside Midorima to the meeting point where everyone was supposed to meet up first before going to Rakuzan High and waiting for Akashi outside the school gate. Takao knew it, Tuesdays always sucked.

"We're bringing everyone along, and you are part of 'everyone'. I don't want you here either. All you do is whine," Midorima grumbled. He doesn't like the idea of Takao going close to Akashi, but because he's tsundere, he doesn't say anything about it.

Stopping at the playground, the duo sees Kuroko, Kagami, Murasakibara, and Himuro all there. The only ones missing were Aomine and Kise.

"Where are Aomine and Kise?" Takao asks the four sitting at the benches. Kuroko shrugs and Kagami just keeps his skeptical face on. "Late again, like always," Midorima says under his breath, slightly annoyed.

About 5 minutes later, the 6 teens hear whining and they all look towards the spot where it came from. Aomine is straining and pulling Kise by the hand, yelling profanities and hurling insults to the wailing blonde.

" _Idon'twannaIdon'twannaIdon'twanna!"_ Kise sobs, trying to prevent Aomine from going any further.

"God damn it Kise! You were fine on the train!" Aomine grunts as he pulls the blonde to the meeting place.

"That was before I realized that I have to meet Akashicchi!" Kise wailed, "And I don't really want to meet him again!"

" _No one wants to meet Akashi again,_ but Kise I swear if you don't stop fighting back I'm going to haul you over my shoulder and carry you like a potato sack," Aomine angrily yelled. "No way!" Kise shook his head, "I don't deserve to be carried like a sack! I deserve to be carried like a princess!"

"If you stop resisting, I'll carry you like a  _queen,_  so  _stop resisting,"_ Aomine says as he tries to get Kise to give up.

"But I don't wanna see Akashicchi more than wanting to be carried like a princess!" Kise said, shaking his head again.

Stopping in his tracks and groaning, Aomine quickly turns around and bends down while moving forward, hauling Kise over his shoulder as he uses his hands to support his back and his legs.

"Uweh! Aominecchi! Put me down!" Kise yells while kicking Aomine in the chest. "You're the one who didn't want to stop pulling, so here you are, like a sack of potatoes over my shoulder."

"Noooooo!" Kise wails as he covers his face with his hands, "This is really embarrassing Aominecchi!"

"It was your fault you asshole!"

"You guys are always late," Kagami said as they met up with the 6 teens.

"Blame Mr. My-Clothes-Has-To-Look-Nice. He took so long finding clothes to wear and he refused to come anywhere near the playground."

"We saw," Kuroko chipped in.

Kise grumbled to himself as he hung upside down. "Aominecchi? Can you put me down now? My head feels really heavy…"

"Will you run?"

"Since I'm here I might as well get it done and over with," Kise pouted.

Aomine put the model down and looks at Kise's flushed face. Sitting down and looking up so the blood circulation will circulate more to the rest of the body, Kise sighs.

"We're formulating a plan now right?" Aomine asks, sitting on one of the benches. Kuroko nodded, "It's unwise to face Akashi-kun without a plan."

"What are we even going to ask him?" Takao asked out loud.

"About why and how he managed to turn some of us into animals," Kagami replied Takao's answer.

"Don't we already know? I mean he sent us blackm—I mean letters right?" Takao placed his cheek on his palm.

"Well, he hasn't told us why he wants us to be careful about one another…" Kise mumbled. "So we got the questions down, or at least the general topic. Right, so who's asking?" Himuro asked.

Everyone looks at Kuroko with that "you're the chosen one" look. "Me?" Kuroko points to himself, "No thank you."

"But why? You are almost equally as fearless as Akashi," Aomine points out.

"Murasakibara-kun should do it, he's one of the closest to Akashi-kun," Kuroko pushed the responsibility to Murasakibara.

"Eh? But isn't Mido-chin the closest to Aka-chin?" Murasakibara looked at Midorima hopefully. "Well, its true that I play shogi with him, but that's all," Midorima shook his head.

"Why not Kise?" Takao mindlessly suggested, and everyone grew pale, Kise especially. "I can think of 6 ways it can go bad," Aomine winced.

"Then how about yourself Aominecchi?" Kise retorted, slightly offended.

"Are you nuts? I'm more of an action guy, not a words guy," Aomine scoffed. "I can tell," Kise mumbled to himself.

"I still think Kuroko is the best to do this," Kagami said.

"So when worse comes to worse, we hide behind an invisible guy?" Aomine said, raising an eyebrow.

"What if Akashi tries to harm Kuroko?" Kagami frowns.

"No worries, look at these guns," Kuroko says as he raises a bicep.

" _What_   _guns?!_ " Everyone shouts at once.

"Maybe Takao should do it?" Kise suggests, "You do have the nerve to mess with Midorimacchi after all."

"Shin-chan isn't as scary as Akashi," Takao shivered, "So no way."

Everyone sighs. This was going in circles.

"How about Muro-chin?" Murasakibara asked, noticing that he wasn't brought up in any of the names, "Or Kaga-chin?"

Kise frowned, "Actually, I don't think 'outsiders' should ask Akashicchi..."

Midorima and Kuroko nodded. "Looks like I have the highest chance of surviving then." Kuroko said, volunteering himself, "Well, let's get going."

* * *

Akashi was expecting the group of 8 to meet up with him soon. Not particularly curious on why though, since he can figure out what's going on in their minds. Akashi patiently waited while staring at the teacher droning on and on about math and waited for school to end. Smirking to himself, the people around him got chills.  _It should be today, not 'soon',_ Akashi thought to himself,  _Today._

* * *

The group huddled outside Rakuzan High and waited for Akashi to come out. Everyone leaving the school looked at the group suspiciously waiting outside as they went out. Kuroko and Kagami stood at front, followed by Aomine and a cowering Kise hiding behind Aomine, Takao and Midorima and Murasakibara and Himuro.

"Muro-chin, are you scared?" Murasakibara asked, trying out a green tea-flavoured pocky.

"Hmm? Not particularly," The raven replied nonchalantly, "Kise-kun seems to be though."

"People who have met Aka-shin are always scared of him. I'm not sure about Kuro-chin and Mine-chin, but at certain times Mido-chin is scared of Aka-chin even though he doesn't show it."

"Then why should I be scared if I haven't met him?"

"But I have, and I'm telling you that Aka-chin is more scary than a horror movie at night."

"Is that so?" Himuro looked up at Murasakibara, "Oh, can I try one?"

Murasakibara nodded and handed him the pocky box. Takao sighed, "Those two are really taking it easy huh?"

"Aren't we as well?" Midorima replies, watching the people exit the school.

"What, you're not scared?" Takao raises an eyebrow and looks at Midorima.

"N-no. Definitely not. Akashi is just slightly intimidating, that's all," Midorima said with a slightly shaky voice.

"I think he's more than 'slightly intimidating' though, from what I've heard. Are you very sure, Shin-chan?"

"Yes."

"Liar."

"Am not!"

"You definitely are, Shin-chan!" Takao teased, and they started bickering.

"Uweh! Everyone has it easy," Kise whimpered. Aomine remained silent, but looked slightly at Kise's direction to show that he was listening.

"Why did we agree to come see Akashicchi?" Kise whined. "Don't you want answers as well?" Aomine replied.

"I do, but… If I have to meet Akashicchi again I'd rather just let it be one of life's little mysteries."

"But I'm here too right? Nothing's gonna happen."

"Woah! Hyououminecchi being so manly protecting the damsel in distress!"

"What damsel. You certainly are in distress, but I don't see no damsel."

"Hyououminecchi! You're so mean! I am  _so_ a damsel! You just haven't seen me in a dress!"

"Why are you calling me that? That's even worse than that 'Aominecchi'! But now I can actually imagine you as a damsel."

"See? I can totally pull it off!" Kise proudly said, although that's not a very prideful thing for a man to say.

Kagami facepalmed. "Do we have to stand so close to those idiots?"

"You can go to the back with Himuro-kun if you want," Kuroko looked up with his expressionless face.

"And leave you alone in the front lines? You can't even stay under heat for long."

Kuroko looked away, "I was dehydrated okay?"

"Whatever you say," Kagami snickered, "I don't understand how you can be dehydrated in a hot spring though."

"Akashi-kun is out," Kuroko ignored Kagami's previous statement with vital visual information.

Everyone became alert all at once and silently waited for Akashi to walk out of the gate.

* * *

Akashi smiled when the bell rang, signaling the students that school was over. Hayama skipped over to the happy teen with red hair. "Akashi!" He yelled before stopping beside him, "You look very happy today!"

"Kotaro," Akashi greeted, "I am happy, yes."

"Hmm?" Mibuchi said, studying Akashi with his eyes, "You're rarely happy."

"That's because today is the day," Akashi smirked.

Hayama cocked his head, "Is today special?"

"Oh yes," Akashi's smirk widened and his eyes grew dangerously dark, "Very special. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment."

Akashi sauntered out of the classroom and Hayama and Mibuchi looked at each other. "Hey, Reo-nee!" Hayama said to the teen that had accompanied him to Akashi's class, "Did you know you have very weird looking eyes?"

Mibuchi blinked. "Really?"

"Yeah! They look… weird!"

Mibuchi didn't say anything because he couldn't think of an insult due to being caught by surprise.

* * *

Walking out the front door, Akashi headed for the gate, and he could already see Kuroko and Kagami. Walking towards them with a smile, he stopped in front of Kuroko and Kagami.

"Hello Tetsuya."

* * *

Kagami gulped. This was the feared captain of the Generation of Miracles.

"Hello Tetsuya," Akashi had said.

Kuroko had politely said hello back.

"My, my, the whole gang is here," Akashi said, smirk still plastered on his face. Kuroko nodded, "We wanted to ask you a few curious questions about the… transformations."

"I know, Tetsuya. Why don't we bring this to a place where we can sit back and rewind?" Akashi said before turning and walking away. Kuroko looked at Kagami before quickly following the red-haired captain.

They walked for a bit, about 5 minutes or so in one direction. Akashi turned into a café and entered it, the first four, Kuroko, Kagami, Kise, and Aomine, followed him in.

Takao however, had to soak in the café. "Shin-chan, isn't this an expensive café?"

Midorima nodded and moved to walk into the café, but Takao still lingered behind. "Takao?"

The point guard shook out of his daydream and followed the remaining 3 in.

Sitting at the largest table possible, Akashi ordered drinks for all of them. "My treat," he had said, "order what you want."

Kuroko was a little shocked. It wasn't often that Akashi treated them, and this place was more expensive than Starbucks and Ikea put together.

Cautiously trying to order something not so expensive, the group fidgeted around nervously

"So what's on your mind?" Akashi laced his fingers together and rested his chin on them.

"I think you know why we're here, Akashi-kun." Kuroko replied with an expressionless face.  _How does Kuroko do that when talking to_ Akashi? Kagami thought.

"Do I, Tetsuya? I can be mistaken," Akashi chuckled.

Kuroko raised an eyebrow, "But you're never wrong, Akashi-kun, what makes you doubt yourself now?"

Akashi smiled a smile that can rival a demon's. "I would still like to hear it from you, Tetsuya."

Swallowing, Kuroko asked the question that everyone wanted to know about, "Why did you turn some of us into animals?"

"I believe I explained that in the letters, hm?"

"I told you so," Takao harshly whispered and nudged Midorima in the ribs.

"But we want to know why you even bother. We're not in the same team anymore."

"But you are worthy opponents, not like those boring weaklings we have to play against at every tournaments. You guys can put up a fight."

"So you warned our partners that if they harmed us, they would be turned into animals?"

"Permanently, and into any animal I want." Akashi nodded.

"So you're just… Protecting the good players?"

"Not quite. Taiga is a good player, for once, but I still turned him into a tiger. I thought a tiger would suit him, and also because he's called 'Taiga'," Akashi chuckled.

"Then why?" Takao asks. Akashi diverted his attention to the raven who was shocked that he said his thoughts out loud, "Because, Kazunari, I'm not all that heartless."

"I don't understand Aka-chin," Murasakibara frowned.

Akashi smiled, "Let me rephrase for you, Atsushi. I simply don't want my former team members, chicks that I have raised to fly, to fall back to the ground because people restrain them by putting them in a cage, either jealous that they can fly or because they want to keep them in a cage and have them sing for them."

"So you're looking out for us?" Kise asked, confused at comparing how he thought Akashi would be and how Akashi is.

"In a way, yes, because it is the Generation of Miracles that pose a higher form of challenge," Akashi said. A waiter with a tray came and put down 4 drinks, while another came shortly after to serve the rest of the 5. All of them took a short sip first, a few exclaiming softly at how good their drinks were.

"Have I answered all your questions?" Akashi said before sipping his black coffee.

"There is just one more, Akashi-kun," Kuroko said, pausing for a short while to drink his milk tea, "How did you do it? The transformation."

Akashi smirked and put down his cup. "I had a potion created. Well, a few potions, all containing the essence of an animal, and all tasteless and colorless. All I had to do was mix it into some food and serve."

"A potion? How did you make a potion? What essence of animal are we speaking about here?" Takao asked, genuinely muddled.

"You ask a lot of questions, Kazunari," Akashi smiled and Takao squeaked, grabbing onto Midorima's hand under the table.

"My family is rich, as you can probably tell," Akashi said, leaning back in his seat, "So I had a few scientists work on it."

"Are there… Side-effects?" Himuro asked.

"Absolutely none, Tatsuya. It's a harmless, temporary change."

A few breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Now, is that all?" Akashi raised an eyebrow. Kuroko looked around and saw everyone's expressions and nodded. "Thank you for spending your time with us, Akashi-kun."

"My pleasure, Tetsuya. Say, your name is very similar to Tatsuya's. It may get confusing in the future."

"I don't think that you will ever get confused, Akashi-kun."

"Thank you, Tetsuya," Akashi chuckled and turned to Aomine, "Daiki, you haven't said anything at all. Is there anything on your mind? Everyone has spoken up at least once."

Looking bored, Aomine replied nonchalantly, "Not particularly."

"Well, take care of Ryouta, hm? We all now how rough you can get."

Kise's ears turned red and hid his face behind his hands. "Akashicchi!" Kise wailed.

"You too, Taiga."

"Eh? Me?"

"Tetsuya is fragile in certain ways you know."

"…." Kuroko didn't say anything as he stared intently at Akashi.

"Tatsuya, you have to bear with Atsushi even though he can be a child sometimes."

"Sometimes?" Himuro laughed, "He's a child 24/7!"

"Am I really?" Murasakibara blinked.

Akashi smiled. "Kazunari, do you think I could borrow Shintarou from time to time? I would like to play shogi with him sometimes."

"Oh, sure," Takao nodded.

Smiling, Akashi stood up. "Well then, I have to go. You can just sit here and talk to each other. No need to worry about the drinks, my family owns this café. Until next time."

The group of 8 watched Akashi exit the café and turned to themselves. "That went... surprisingly smooth…" Kuroko started first.

"I thought he'd be… scarier," Takao said.

"You haven't seen him during practice," Kise shivered.

"He was horrible during practice." Aomine yawned and took a sip of his coffee.

"Well, he turned out a better person that I thought," Himuro said, warming his hands with his coffee.

"Me too," Kagami said, downing the coffee in one gulp.

"Ah! Kagamicchi! That's not how you savor coffee of this caliber!" Kise yelled after seeing how Kagami drank his coffee.

"What? What's wrong with that?"

"This is good coffee, you should enjoy it and not just drink it all at once!"

"That's not what you do when you give me head though," Aomine nonchalantly interrupted the conversation with an awkward statement.

"Aominecchi…" Kise's face turned red and he crawled under the table to hide his face and entire presence.

"Why do you always bring out that topic?" Kagami asked.

"It's my favorite topic," Aomine replied.

"Kise-chin, want some pocky?" Murasakibara asked the blonde hugging the table leg.

Midorima sighed. Today was a weird day for him as well.

"Hey guys!" Takao burst out, "Want to have a major sleepover?! Tomorrow's a holiday anyways!"

"Sleepover?" Kagami repeated.

"For what?" Aomine asks.

"Where?" Kuroko raised an eyebrow.

"Who has the biggest house?" Takao cocked his head to the side.

"… We live in apartments," Aomine said, referring to both he and Kise.

"Us too," Kuroko said, talking about himself and Kagami.

"I live in Atsushi's house, but there's not enough space for a sleepover group of 8," Himuro added on.

Everyone turned to look at Midorima. "What? I live in an apartment too."

"Uh well, you guys can come over to my house?" Takao offered.

"I thought you lived in an apartment too?" Kagami said.

"I live in a normal house, but my parents are overseas like always," Takao had a cat grin on.

"Takao-kun's house it is!" Kuroko smiled. After finishing their drinks, Aomine having to hand Kise his, they went back home to prepare for the sleepover.

* * *

Murasakibara and Himuro rang Takao's doorbell. Murasakibara had a panda backpack with clothes in it and a few essentials, and when I mean essentials, I mean a big bag of snacks. Himuro just brought clothes and toiletries. Murasakibara was also slinging the two sleeping bags that Mommy Murasakibara had to dig out of the closet ("Atsushi!" She had said, "A sleepover you say? Well, you haven't gone on many since you were younger, and I think we have a spare, so let me clean out the closet and pull them out under the boxes of old photos and your dad's mementoes of his younger days! It might be rather dusty though.").

"Atsushi, do you really have to bring that much snacks?" Himuro sighed. It had taken him everything to get Murasakibara out of the house in time so they can arrive a little earlier.

"Taka-chin wouldn't have to stress himself on food for 8 people."

"That bag can feed the whole of Singapore, Atsushi."

"Oh, you guys are early!" Takao opened the door excitedly, "Come in!"

"Excuse us," Himuro politely said before taking off his shoes and entering Takao's empty home.

"Do you think you can help me with the furniture? That way everyone can bunk in the living room," Takao asked the early duo.

Putting down their bags, Himuro got Murasakibara to move the furniture with Takao as he himself took away the things on the table and on the floor.

"You live… very carefreely, Takao-kun," Himuro said, piling all the magazines and books scattered everywhere on the living room into 2 different piles.

"When I'm not with Shin-chan, I get bored as hell," Takao snickered, "And my parents aren't home anyways. What's a little mess with no one going to nag you about it?"

"You could at have least cleaned up before we got here?" Himuro suggested.

"They're only books! And I had to go out to buy food and drinks."

"Atsushi has food. Atsushi always have food. Enough to feed a tiny island that has a population of 5 million," Himuro sighed.

Takao laughed as they finished moving the furniture to one corner, "I should have calculated that. Well, that's enough space for 8 people to sleep in. Thanks, Murasakibara-san."

The 3 turned their heads to the door as they heard the doorbell go off. Opening the door, Takao pounced on the guy outside.

"Shin-chaaaaaaaan!"

"Urf, Takao!" Midorima frowned and had to take a few steps back due to added weight.

"What took you so long?"

"I had to pack. And find a sleeping bag," Midorima mumbled.

"So you brought a fluffy blanket instead?" Himuro raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't… have a sleeping bag…" Midorima had a slight blush going on.

"What, Shin-chan? Is this your first sleepover?" Takao teased.

"O-of course not! I've slept over at your house before!"

"And only my house?"

"…" Midorima didn't say anything else and just shoved his way into the house. "Aw, Shin-chan, no need to be sad! You can share mine!" Takao giggled and the tips of Midorima's ears started to go red.

"Oh, Mido-chin! I brought red bean pocky. I think you'll like it," Murasakibara said as he started searching through his bag of snacks.

Midorima had replied with a thank you when the doorbell rang again.

Opening the door, Takao was surprised. "Eh? Aomine and Kise aren't the last ones as I thought."

"What's that supposed to mean, Takao?" Kise pouted. Aomine just chuckled. "My house is kinda near-ish and Kise had most of his stuff at my place, so all we had to do was look for an extra sleeping bag."

"And clothes," Kise mumbled under his breath.

"Hey, you didn't bring your own and it's too much of a pain to go back just for underwear and clothes."

"That's the point, Aominecchi. I can't wear  _your_ underwear."

"Why not?"

"It's unhygienic… and kinda gross when you think about it."

"Then re-wear yours."

"… That's even more gross…"

"Then live with mine, Jesus Christ."

"Also, your taste in clothes is horrible."

"… What do you have against T-shirts and pants?"

"You know, you guys are spilling a lot of information that I didn't want to know," Takao winced.

Aomine laughed and Kise blushed. Setting down their things, the 6 of them discussed on their plans for the night.

"Truth or dare! Everyone has to play that during sleepovers!" Takao squealed.

"Are you a high school girl?" Aomine raised an eyebrow. "Aw, why not Aominecchi, it's gonna be fun!" Kise gave Aomine a pat on the back.

"What's for dinner by the way?" Murasakibara asked. "Now that is a valid question. I don't think I'd want to live on Atsushi's snacks," Himuro smiled.

Takao hummed, "Maybe we can order in?"

"Pizza!" Kise yelled. Aomine nodded, "Pizza. Pizza's good."

"Isn't that a little unhealthy…?" Midorima frowned.

"Shin-chan, sometimes I don't know if you're a teenager or not," Takao giggled. Just then, the doorbell rang.

"Oh, that's gotta be Bakagami and Tetsu," Aomine said as Takao hopped to the door like an over-excited rabbit.

"Kuroko! Kagami! You guys are late!" Takao said as he opened the door.

"Yeah, sorry. We had to go back and grab Kuroko's clothes and drop Nigou off at the Coach's house." Kagami said as he took off his shoes.

"If they could go back and get clothes, why couldn't I?" Kise mumbled under his breath and Aomine knuckled his head.

"Right, the whole gang is here, so what now?" Takao asked, "Want to order in? I have cash."

* * *

Pizza came a half hour later, and everyone ate. Murasakibara didn't eat much because of all the snacks he had been munching, and it seems like he doesn't like pizza as much as snacks.

Kagami and Aomine were fighting over the last slice, which eventually was stolen by Kise.

"Truth or dare!" Takao yelled after they had finished eating.

"Why? We're not girls," Aomine mumbled. "But then we get to know each other more!" Takao replied enthusiastically.

"Don't we already know each other?" Himuro smiled.

"But! We can know their secrets and stuff!" Takao giggled.

"It'll be fun!" Kise tried persuading Aomine. He had always wanted to try it with people that weren't girls.

Himuro chuckled, "Why not? What say you, Kuroko-kun?"

Kuroko just blinked. "I don't know. I never really played it before."

"We have to let Kurokocchi experience it sometime!" Kise said, hugging Kuroko. "Everyone has to play truth or dare in their lifetime!" Takao joined Kise in hugging the phantom player.

"Ugh, fine," Aomine gave up.

After settling down in a circle, Takao took out an empty soda bottle and set it in the middle.

"Takaocchi should spin it, since this is his house anyways," Kise said, so Takao spun the bottle.

"Kurokocchi, it's a very simple game," Kise explained while Takao spun the bottle, "If the bottle points to you, the person who spins the bottle asks you 'truth or dare'. If you pick truth, the person will give you a question and you must answer truthfully, and if you pick dare, the person will give you a dare and you will have to do it. You also cannot ask the same question twice, and if you fail the dare, you forfeit."

Kuroko nodded and watched as the bottle begun to stop spinning and pointed at Kagami.

"Me?" Kagami pointed to himself and sighed. Takao smiled a Cheshire cat smile. "Kagami! Truth or dare?"

"…" Kagami took time to think before saying dare.

"Kiss someone who isn't Kuroko," Takao demanded.

Kagami looked at his choices.

He scrunched up his nose at Takao and Midorima.

He almost gagged at the thought of kissing Aomine.

Thinking that Kise would kiss like a dog, he passed.

He didn't think Murasakibara would let anyone near his mouth apart from snacks and Himuro.

Kagami sighed.  _Tatsuya it is._

"I pick Tatsuya," Kagami pointed.

Himuro's smile stayed in place as his face froze and pointed to himself, "Me? You sure?"

"We kissed before anyways."

Kagami glanced at Kuroko, hoping not to find any killing intent, but he seemed fine with it. But now he was really unsure, because Kuroko's face is like the locked vault to what he really feels.

"Kuroko, this okay to you?" Kagami asked first.

"Hmm? It's a dare, isn't it? I don't think it matters." Kuroko blinked.

Letting out a relieved sigh, he turned to the waiting Himuro. Smiling he said something that would calm Kagami down, "It's just like old times, remember? We did it every time we saw each other."

"Well, yeah, but in Japan, a kiss is something other than a greeting," Kagami mumbled and stroked his hand through his hair.

"Just get it over and done with," Aomine rested his chin on a palm.

"F-fine!" Kagami shouted before pecking the smiling Himuro on the lips. "There, you got your kiss," Kagami told Takao as he quickly moved back to his seat beside Kuroko and spinning the bottle. The bottle spun and pointed to Kise.

"Kise, truth or dare?" Kagami raised an eyebrow.

Kise frowned. "Aominecchi, what should I choose?"

"Hah? How would I know?" Aomine growled.

"Truth then," Kise said, ignoring Aomine and completely disregarding the fact that he actually asked someone a question.

"Hmm, why did you become a model?"

Kise blinked and gave a sly smile, "With a face that looks like this, why wouldn't you become a model?"

"With a face that looks like that, why didn't you become a porn star," Aomine mumbled against his palm while Kise's jaw flapped about without making a sound.

"Actually," Kuroko spoke up, "Why didn't you, Kise-kun?"

"HEEEEH?! KUROKOCCHI?!" Kise shouted at what Kuroko said.

"Now now, Kuroko-kun," Himuro smiled, "One question at a time. Kise-kun, if you would please spin the bottle?"

Kise recovered and spun the bottle. The bottle pointed to Midorima next.

"Oho! Midorimacchi!" Kise gave a big huge-ass smile, 'Truth or dare?"

"… Dare. Because you'd only ask me stupid questions."

"Eh? That's not true!"

"I've known you for too long, unfortunately. So what's my dare?"

"Write 'antidisestablishmentarianism ' with your right hand!"

"Write  _what?"_ Aomine looked at Kise like he had horns and grey skin.

"The… movement or ideology that opposes… antidisestablishment?" Kise strained to remember what the dictionary had said.

"Disestablishment," Midorima corrected.

"Right. Yeah, whatever he said."

"And you know this word because… Was that even a word?" Aomine raised an eyebrow.

"I was reading through the dictionary because I was bored, and if it came from the dictionary, then yes it's a word."

"How bored were you to read a dictionary?"

"Very, so do it Midorimacchi!"

Midorima sighed, "It's going to be ugly though."

"That's what I would expect," Kise smiled.

Grabbing a notebook and a pen, Midorima set to start writing the 28-lettered word and it came out in a way that didn't look like any language at all.

"Midorimacchi, that's not the language that I was hoping for."

"I told you it'd get ugly!"

"Actually, I don't think it's a language  _anyone_ would be hoping for," Kagami said as he tried to read what Midorima wrote.

"Shin-chan, can you really not write with your right hand?" Takao asked, curious.

"Can  _you_ write with your left?" Midorima snapped back.

"If your spins ever point to me, you could dare me," Takao smiled a smile that made him belong with the sharks.

Midorima spun the bottle and watched as it landed on Takao. "Now, that is just uncanny," Takao scrunched up his nose.

"Truth or dare, Takao?" Midorima asked even though he knew what the answer was.

"Dare."

"Write 'antidisestablishmentarianism ' with your left hand," Midorima lightly smirked.

Takao tried his very best, but it came out nicer than Midorima's. "Hah! It's actually legible!" Takao grinned and Midorima slightly sulked.

Takao spun the bottle and frowned when it landed on Himuro. "I don't really know what to ask Himuro."

Himuro just continued smiling like the world wasn't ending soon, "Well, I guess this is the time to start to know me?"

"Then… Why do you have that emo hairstyle?"

"It was the fashion once in America. I kinda liked it so I kept it," Himuro shrugged and spun the bottle.

"Aha! Taiga," Himuro smirked, "Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"I'm going to make you regret it."

"What, why?"

"Want to tell us about that time when you wore your mom's bra?"

"FUCK NO! PASS!" Kagami shouted before seizing the bottle. Himuro pouted, "You're no fun."

Kuroko raised an eyebrow. "Your mom's… bra…"

"Shut up Kuroko! I was young and stupid!"

"You still are young and stupid though," Himuro lightly laughed.

Kagami blushed and spun the bottle.

"Murasakibara, truth or dare?"

"Truth," The snack-eating boy immediately replied and the raven sitting beside him gave him a curious look.

"I didn't want to do anything… at all…" Murasakibara said after noticing Himuro's look.

"Erm… How did you two start going out?" Kagami asked. Himuro had never told him about it, and he wanted to know. Himuro flushed red when the question was asked.

"Hmm, well, it had started when Muro-chin always kissed me when I did something good, and I wanted more so I—"

"Pulled me into an empty classroom," Himuro sighed, "And we had a sloppy make-out session on the floor."

"Muro-chin had also eaten ice cream and I wanted to know how it taste like. It was strawberry cheesecake," Murasakibara licked his lips.

Kagami looked at the duo with amusement, "That was… interesting."

"Yeah, very interesting. It was really similar to what happened to us," Aomine smirked.

"Aominecchi, what happened to us is that you rammed me into the wall of a classroom and we had sex. How was that similar?" Kise whacked Aomine on the head.

"Ow! Hey! It was an empty classroom too!"

"No one rapes another person before confessing you idiot."

"You mean only me, and I couldn't hold it in, damn it," Aomine grumbled as he rubbed his head.

Murasakibara spun the bottle.

"Kuro-chin, truth or dare?"

Kuroko thought about his choices before saying 'truth'.

"Who do you like more in the Generation of Miracles?"

Kuroko frowned. "That's a really difficult question, Murasakibara-kun."

"I was just really curious, since you never show whether you're happy or sad."

"Well, I pretty much like everyone equally."

"Even Aka-chin?!" Murasakibara was slightly shocked.

Kuroko nodded. "Everyone is different, but I manage to stand on equal levels in my head. They were also kind of my first few friends too."

Murasakibara's face remained stoic as he shuffled forward to give the little teen a hug. Kise also joined in too, because what Kuroko said was so touching. Midorima was struggling in his mind whether to hug or not, and Aomine just yawned.

Kuroko got everyone off and spun the bottle. Aomine was about to drift off when he got interrupted by Kuroko.

"Aomine-kun, truth or dare?"

"Eh? What?"

"Truth or dare?"

"… Dare."

"Drink a whole bottle of Tabasco sauce."

"What the fuck?" Aomine gave a disgusted face, "Tetsu, no one can survive after a bottle of Tabasco sauce."

"I'm sure you'd pull through, Aomine-kun. And Tabasco isn't that spicy."

"To you," Aomine grumbled.

"What, does someone not have a high tolerance for chili?" Kagami teased.

"I just… don't like chili okay?"

Takao chuckled and got up, making his way to the kitchen and came back with a bottle of Tabasco sauce and some milk.

"There's only half of it left, but I think it should be enough," Takao said and handed the bottle and the milk to Aomine.

Aomine gave Kuroko a face that said 'I hate you' before chugging down the spicy sauce. After shouting, swearing, and drinking the milk, Aomine rushed to the fridge to get even  _more_ milk.

"I thought he would handle that better though," Kuroko raised an eyebrow, "Who knew he couldn't take that much spicy?"

"Kurokocchi, I think that means you can and that's scaring me a bit," Kise whimpered. Just watching Aomine drink that stuff made his throat burn.

Aomine was panting as he came back to the circle that his friends were sitting in. No wait, correction, his friends and  _Kuroko._

"Tetsu, I'll make you pay someday," Aomine growled as he sat back down.

Kise asked worrying 'are you ok' questions as Aomine spun the bottle.

"Takao, truth or dare?"

"Truth," Takao said with a sly smile.

"What's your favorite foreplay action by Midorima?"

Kagami, Midorima and Kise blushed. Shouts of 'Aomine' and 'Aominecchi' went around.

Takao had an amused face on, "Well, I particularly like it when Shin-chan sucks on my neck, and then there would be hickeys the next day." Midorima's face had become as red as Kagami's hair and started to look down to avoid any sort of eye contact.

Takao reached out to spin the bottle and watched as it stopped.

"Me? Again?" Kise whined.

"Truth or dare, Kise?" Takao had that sly foxy smile.

"Dare."

"Watch the scariest horror movie without crying or being surprised."

"Eh? Horror movies? I can't take horror movies!" Kise squealed and hugged Aomine's arm.

"Take it or forfeit," Takao smirked.

"What do I do if I forfeit?"

"I'll die your hair bright pink and make you wear light blue shirt with neon green pants."

Kise screamed, " _NOOOOOOOOO! ANYTHING BUT THAT! I'D DO IT I'D DO IT!"_ There's one thing that Kise cannot stand, and it's clothes that do not match.

Takao stood to go look through the movies he has while everyone moved over to the empty space where Takao moved all the furniture away. They busied themselves with unrolling their sleeping bags and huddling in it. Aomine looked down at Kise still hugging his arm to see if he was ready to let go and saw that Kise was slightly smirking. Aomine frowned.

"Are you going to let go?"

"Eh?" Kise's facial expression was a scared one, "But…"

Kise sniffled and let go unwillingly. Aomine scanned his face. He was sure he was smirking just now, but he could be mistaken. He  _is_ pretty sleepy (because he was bored) right now. Kise tilted his head. "Aominecchi?"

The blue-haired shook his head. "Nothing. Better not cling to me the whole time."

"Ehh? Why not?"

"Because I don't want you to."

Takao had gotten the most scary horror movie and put the disc into the DVD machine.

"It's going to start guys," Takao said as he started the movie, "And warning, this movie is really scary. It's as scary as shit. I saw it once and I didn't sleep without the lights on for months. I'm still really scared of this show."

Everyone was huddled with their lovers. There were moments where Kuroko and Kagami jumped. The light blue-haired gripped Kagami's shirt tightly and Kagami put an arm around him reassuringly. Himuro was sitting in Murasakibara's lap. He doesn't scare easily, but when he got shocked, along with Murasakibara, he got hugged tightly. Takao whimpered at some times and he and Midorima hugged tightly.

If it had managed to scare even Kuroko and Himuro, the movie was really  _really_ scary.

But Aomine was sitting next to Kise in peace. He winced, jerked, and jumped at some parts, but Kise never bothered him. Nor did he bother anyone else. This movie was scaring even him, but Kise was silent. The usual bundle of emotion was being… unusual. He was sitting there with a nonchalant face while watching the scariest movie Aomine has ever watched.

When it came to the climax, where the killer was about to almost kill the main character, Aomine saw Kise smirk in his peripheral vision. It was the slight tug at the corner of his mouth. Aomine frowned. This was very strange indeed.

During the most torturous killing, there was flinching, wincing, and Himuro had to even look away. Aomine turned to look at Kise, who was still staring at the screen with a blank face. He continued to frown and watch the movie. He was becoming more bored by the second. Horror movies were one of his most hated genres. Not number one though. That belongs to romance. Nothing can beat romance. He thought about falling asleep, but he wanted to see Kise's emotions.

When the movie was over, it was just intense silence.

"I-I told you guys that it was s-scary," Takao said as he clung unto Midorima.

Himuro had his face buried in Murasakibara's chest and Kuroko still holding on tightly to Kagami's shirt.

"So, I won the dare, yes?" Kise raised an eyebrow.

Just then, everyone realized that not only did Kise not cry, he didn't screech, scream, yell, or did anything that they thought Kise would do.

"You weren't scared?" Aomine frowned as he asked the teen sitting beside him.

Kise brought on a full-fledged sly grin. "I've watched scarier movies. And I happen to really like horror movies. I don't particularly find them scary at all. I can watch crime murder shows during lunch and still eat."

"Says the man who is afraid of earthworms and thinks that they are  _disgusting,"_ Aomine mumbled.

Takao gaped, "You… tricked us into believing that you couldn't take horror movies!"

"It was a dare, not a truth," Kise smirked, "And it would seem that everyone thinks that I can't handle scary things. I kind of like proving them wrong."

"You're really sly, Kise-kun."

"Not all the time though," The blonde smiled.

"How come I never knew about this?" Aomine grumbled. "Aominecchi, you think horror movies are boring, so we never watch horror movies."

"You force me to watch romance ones."

"Romance movies are good!"

"I think we should all just call it a night. It's still early, but I don't think—" Himuro got interrupted when the lights failed.

"Power failure?" Kuroko frowned.

"And we just watched a horror too!" Takao squeaked and stayed close to Midorima.

"You have torchlights right?" Kuroko asked and Takao nodded.

"I-I'll get them, since it's my house," Takao gulped as he let go of Midorima.

"Are you sure? I could go and get them for you," Kagami offered.

"No no, the drawer is really tricky to open. I'm just going to…" Takao gulped and walked cautiously into the dark kitchen.

* * *

Feeling his way through his own kitchen, he felt his way to the drawer where they kept the torchlights when he felt a cold hand grip his hand and heard a low voice whisper into his ear, "Takao-kun…"

Everyone looked up when they heard Takao scream and rushed to the kitchen. Takao was on the counter like a frightened cat. "What happened?" Kagami asked.

"S-s-something cold grabbed my arm and whispered my name," A freaked Takao said.

"Did you see who did it?" Kuroko spoke up.

"Can you even see me?" Takao raised an eyebrow.

"… Not really… Oh," Kuroko finally got what he meant. It was too dark to see anything.

Himuro jerked when something cold and wet was stroked down his neck and he slapped a hand to his neck and turned around.

"Muro-chin?" Murasakibara asked, "What are you doing?"

"Something touched my neck," Himuro mumbled.

Everyone was on alert now, frantically looking around. "Wait," Aomine looked around, "Where's Kise?"

They all turned to Aomine and the empty space beside him when they suddenly felt an aura they didn't want to feel.

They slowly turned around to see an empty kitchen, but the aura of Akashi was still there. "Wh-who's there?" Takao squeaked.

There was silence. Everyone was high-strung and their brains were working overdrive. Adrenaline pumped through their veins and they started to become uneasy and restless when they all heard a bang and everyone shouted and jumped.

Kise was falling over in giggles in the corner of the kitchen with a frying pan in one hand. "You guys are such  _wimps!"_

"Kise! What the hell?" Aomine shouted, trying to get his beating heart to calm its tits. "You guys were so scared over  _nothing!"_  Kise giggled.

"Was it you the whole time?" Kuroko asked, blinking in shock.

"You grabbed my arm?"

"You touched my neck?"

"You did Akashi's aura?"

Kise continued giggling. "I sneaked off first and stuck my hand in the freezer for a while. You can't really feel the difference with the window open and the chilly winter air breezing in. I took a few blocks of ice too. I grabbed Takaocchi's arm first and tried my best to imitate Aominecchi's voice."

"My voice? Why?" Aomine frowned in confusion.

"Because you have a low voice. And then," Kise giggled again, "With the hand that was holding the ice, I passed the ice to the other hand and used the cold wet one to trace Himurocchi's neck."

"So that's why it was cold and wet," Himuro mumbled.

"And then Akashi's aura?" Midorima asked.

"Well, I tried my best Akashicchi imitation. It took me some time to get it started and right. It's really hard you know," Kise grinned.

"I'm so going to kill you for this," Takao said, tears in his eyes.

"I'd like to see you try," Kise grinned like a psychopath, "Because I know tons of way to torture people."

* * *

A round of shouting, running around, and throwing pillows at each other, everyone settled down into their respective makeshift beds. The power went on somewhere in the middle, and Takao turned off the lights so everyone can sleep. Forgetting about the horror movie, everyone was pooped out from hunting Kise down and fell asleep pretty quickly. Takao opened up his sleeping bag so he could fit Midorima in and used the blanket he brought as a sleeping bag as their blanket instead.

Kuroko was cocooned in his sleeping bag, sleeping soundly beside Kagami who was sleeping on top of his sleeping bag and using nothing to cover himself at all. Murasakibara had snuggled in with Himuro and used him as a bolster and Kise fell asleep on Aomine.

The nice, cold, cozy night was completely silent…

Until Kagami started snoring that is. A half-awake Kuroko started smothering Kagami with a pillow to get him to shut up. Himuro had woken up and saw Kuroko suffocating Kagami and got the smaller boy to let go as he taped Kagami's mouth shut. Kagami didn't snore again that night.

More like, Kagami wouldn't be snoring anywhere near Kuroko anymore.

* * *

Aomine stirred when he felt something nearby buzz. Smacking his hand around until he found it, he flipped his phone open and pressed the call button.

"'Lo?" Aomine mumbled into the phone sleepily, eyes still closed shut.

"Oh dear, did I wake you up, Daiki?" Akashi's voice wasn't registered until his brain filtered through the sleepiness, and when it did register, Aomine's eyes popped open and he rose himself to his right elbow as he got the other arm off Kise's waist and propped that up too.

"Akashi?" Aomine frowned.

"Did you just wake up?"

"… Yes?"

"Oh, then I suppose you haven't realized then."

"Realized what?"

"Look down at Ryouta."

"Wait, how did you know I was with Kise?"

"Don't underestimate me and do as I say," Akashi's commanding voice came through the phone and Aomine did as he was told. He peeled back the sleeping bag to reveal the still sleeping Kise.

With a few extra bits.

"What's going on?" Aomine demanded as he scanned Kise.

"Aomine-kun?" Kuroko shifted as he woke up to Aomine talking. The tanned power forward turned his head to look at Kuroko and just kept on staring.

"Is something wrong?"

"… I suggest you wake Bakagami."

"What for?"

"Just do it, Tetsu," Aomine diverted his attention to the phone, "You haven't replied my question, Akashi."

"But I can't, Daiki." Akashi's calm voice flitted through.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't know."

"You  _don't know?!"_

Aomine's outburst had woken up Himuro, and the raven jerked awake. "Wha's goin' on?" Himuro slurred as Murasakibara pulled him closer by the waist.

Aomine turned to look at the person who recently spoke and now fears for Himuro. Said teen frowned, "Atsushi, your hand is hurting me."

Murasakibara didn't reply or show that he was even awake, so Himuro lowered his hands to tug at the arm and looked down. Scanning the arm and hand, he turned around to look at his sleeping lover.

"Is that so unbelievable?" Aomine heard Akashi say.

"Yes. Yes it is, because you know everything," Aomine growled as he glared at Kagami, willing the redheaded idiot to wake up. Kuroko was shaking Kagami awake, but he wasn't waking up. Standing up, he was about to jump on him when Kagami groaned… Or at least he tried to with the tape still on his mouth and he sleepily tore it off.

"What time is it?" Kagami frowned. Opening his eyes and looking up, he stared at Kuroko.

"What is it, Kagami-kun?" Kuroko asked.

"This is the time where I really don't know, Daiki," Akashi said.

"Why did you call me then. You could have called Tetsu," Aomine said as he was willing Midorima to wake up.

"I had a mini panic attack and your name was the first one to appear in my contacts."

"Wouldn't Murasakibara's appear first?"

"I have to put in surnames too you know. I know a few people with the same names but different surnames."

"This is the time where I wish my surname wasn't Aomine."

"Enough, Daiki. I'm scheduling a meeting today to discuss this… Problem. Same café. 12 P.M. Maybe we can go out for lunch too, while we're at it."

"I don't think we should be going out in this situation."

Aomine heard Akashi sigh. "Alright, I'll go to where you all are. Should I bring a cook?"

"What? No! What for? We can just order in."

"… Fine. I'll be over at 12," Akashi said before hanging up.

"Ah—wait!" Aomine tried to say before Akashi hung up, "Does he even know where we are?"

"What was that?" Kuroko blinked. "I think you should look at yourself before question Aomine," Kagami frowned.

"Hmm? Why?" Kuroko said as Kagami pulled him up and herded him to the toilet.

Himuro was desperately trying to wriggle out of Murasakibara's grip. "Uhm, Aomine-kun, a little help here?"

Aomine shuffled over to help the raven pry himself loose from the sleeping center. Sighing, Aomine combed his fingers through his blue hair, "Akashi's coming at 12. It's already 10. We should wake the two sleeping beauties." Aomine jerked towards Midorima and Takao.

Shaking Midorima awake was easier than slapping Takao awake. Nonetheless, the duo woke up.

Takao had a slur of incoherent words out of his mouth as he sat up and scratched the back of his head. Midorima put on his glasses and looked at Aomine like he wanted to boil him alive.

Takao turned around to fall asleep on Midorima when he stopped and stared.

"Toilet. Mirror," Aomine pointed them in the right direction, and Takao forced Midorima up and towards the toilet.

Aomine looked at Kise with annoyance and Himuro looked at Murasakibara with exasperation. They both sighed before getting their lovers to wake the hell up.

"What…?" Kuroko blinked as he stared at his own reflection. "Guess who's turn it is now," Kagami mumbled as he also starred at the mirror. Kuroko had large white triangular ears on his head and a medium-sized bushy tail.

"What are  _you_ supposed to be?" The couple heard Takao say and turned around. Takao was staring at Kuroko with shocked eyes, and the two starred back, but at Midorima.

The annoyed 3-pointer looked past the stares and into the mirror.

Blinking at his own reflection, he nudged Takao, "Am I not wearing my glasses?"

"Nope, you are, Shin-chan," Takao said, as he reached up and pulled down an ear. Sitting on top of Midorima's ears were pure-white rabbit ears, and currently, Takao was pulling one and the other was twitching in shock.

"Hey, I wonder…" Takao started as he walked behind Midorima, "Woah! You do! You do have a fluffy bunny tail!"

"What's going on?" Kagami frowned.

"I think Aomine-kun knows."

* * *

Kise groaned in annoyance when he felt himself being shook and called awake. Shifting and turning over to ignore the hand and calls, he fully woke up when the hand shaking him awake pushed his face into the floor and the voice calling him awake shouted his name.

"KISE. WAKE UP, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD," Aomine shouted, pissed off. He tried being patient, but no.  _Someone_ refused to wake up.

"Aominecchi!" Kise cried, but of course, he was muffled against the floor, so it became "Aomnnejii".

"What?!" Kise yelled as he got up. Aomine pushed him off towards the toilet where Kagami, Kuroko, Takao and Midorima were.

Himuro sighed as he watched Kise wake up and turned back to Murasakibara. "Atsushi! Wake up!" Himuro shook the large teen.

Murasakibara finally stirred and Himuro took this moment as an opportunity and yelled in his ear. The center sat up and held his ear, "Muro-chin? What are you doing?"

"Stand up!" Himuro said, tugging at his arm and they both moved towards the toilet.

* * *

'Kurokocchi! Midorimacchi!" Kise's eyes widened in surprise as they reached the toilet and saw the two basketball players with animal parts, "What happened to you?"

"Ask yourself the same question, Kise-kun," Kuroko said as he moved out of the way so the model could look at himself.

"What… is this?" Kise says to himself as he tugs a golden, with a slight brown lining at the tip, triangular ear. It was as big as Kuroko's ears.

"You have a tail too, Kise," Aomine says, pointing to the fluffy golden tail with the same hue of brown near the tip. Twisting himself around, he studied his tail. "What animal am I?" Kise asks no one in particular.

"I don't know. I don't know what I am either. Maybe when we fully turn into animals…"

"I don't want to turn into an animal…" The 6 people heard Murasakibara say.

"You're already halfway there though," Himuro gave the purple-haired teen a pat on the back. Murasakibara had brown little bear ears and long fingernails.

"You need to cut your nails, Murasakibara," Midorima's eyebrows and ears twitched at seeing the horrendous long nails.

"Midorima-kun, I think that if you do that, he's going to be defenseless when he becomes a full bear," Himuro says moving Murasakibara's hands out of sight.

"So now all we know is that Murasakibaracchi is a bear and Midorimacchi is a rabbit?" Kise asked the rest of the boys. Kuroko nodded in response.

"Aomine-kun, you were talking to Akashi-kun just now right?"

Aomine nodded his head, "He's coming over at 12."

"You know, Kise-kun, I think you might be a fox," Himuro suggested, looking at Kise's tail.

"Really? I always thought I fit a Labrador retriever more than a fox…" Kise said to himself, and Takao shivered. "No, no. You play pranks like a fox, cunning and mean. Labradors just… slobber all over your face."

"I do not slobber over people's face!" Kise puffed out his cheeks. "True, he's not a wet kisser," Aomine nonchalantly adds.

Kise covers his face with his hands, "Aominecchi…"

"We got 2 hours till he comes by. I think we should clean up a bit," Aomine suggested, looking back at the messy living room.

"And move back the furniture…" Kuroko added after a thought.

Everyone, except Kuroko and Murasakibara, Kuroko with no arm strength and Murasakibara having his nails too long, helped pack the place and move back the furniture.

Two hours later, the doorbell rang. Takao nervously opened it to an Akashi under an umbrella.

Greeting him and moving aside, Takao watched as Akashi folded his umbrella and walked in.

Everyone stared as Akashi sat down on a single sofa, his golden tail swishing in annoyance and his golden ears twitched.

Midorima had the unfortunate event of having scissors for his lucky item. Again.  
 _Damn it,_ Midorima thought as he scanned the red and yellow eyes glaring at all of them through long red bangs.

"Shintarou," Akashi snapped, "Hand me your scissors. This hair is annoying me."

Midorima froze. He didn't want to put another pair of scissors into Akashi's hand again. Kuroko noticed his hesitance, "Akashi-kun, it won't be good if you cut your hair when you turn into a full lion."

Akashi's glare turned to Kuroko but said nothing.

"The mane is the pointer to tell whether a lion is male or female," Kuroko explained further, "So if you cut your hair, you would seem like a lioness instead of a lion, and it can be rather humiliating."

Akashi sighed, "You have a point there, Tetsuya. Does anyone have a hair tie then?"

Murasakibara dug through his snacks to find his bag of toiletries. Unzipping it and digging around, he handed a hair tie to Akashi.

"Thank you, Atsushi," Akashi said as he stared at the black tie.

After staring it for half a minute, Himuro asked Akashi, "Do you know how to tie your hair?"

"Regrettably, no. I never really had to. I had always cut it before it grew this long," Akashi looked up and scanned all the faces.

"So there  _is_ one thing that you cannot do," Aomine mumbled.

"There are many things that I cannot do, Daiki. I'm not god," Akashi raised an eyebrow.

"But you always acted like you had power over everything," Kise blinked.

"That's because I do, Ryouta. It's just some things I cannot do, like tie my hair. I've never had to tie it, or anything else's, you see, so I have no experience."

"Would you like me to tie it for you?" Himuro offered. Akashi scanned Himuro wearily before shyly nodding, "If you would please, Tatsuya."

Himuro got to work, combing his shoulder-length hair back and tying it in a ponytail. Akashi blinked at how cool his face feels, "I never really had my forehead this exposed before."

Everyone smiled. It was nice how Akashi was learning how to be a human being, or at least an ordinary teenager.

"Done," Himuro exclaimed before moving to sit beside Murasakibara again.

"Thank you, Tatsuya," Akashi said, smiling a little before looking at the rest, "Well, then, back to business. I believe you are all wondering about this."

"Yes, why did this happen?" Kuroko frowned, stroking his tail.

"Unfortunately, I'm not entirely sure."

Aomine frowned this time, "But you always know what's happening, what's going on, and what's going to happen."

"This time, all I have is a suspicion. I have called the lab, and apparently the instinct potion has been stolen. That is the reason why everyone has turned into different animals."

"Instinct potion?" Kagami asked.

"Some of you, like Taiga and Daiki, haven't changed into anything because they are already immune to it. I had given Daiki, Tatsuya, Taiga, and Kazunari the instinct potion. The potion has the ability to turn a person into the animal that their personality, character and instinct closely resembles. Kind of like an 'animal spirit'. It's called 'instinct potion' because the potion uses more of the instinct part of the three mentioned to determine an animal. As you all already know, it would take time to fully turn into an animal. The reason that you only change while you sleep is because the potion needs your body to be calm and relaxed to change successfully, and then it would wear off in a few days time."

"So it can only be used once per person?" Kise asked.

Akashi nodded, "I had it designed that way."

"Wait I thought you had specifically turned us into animals?" Aomine frowned.

Akashi smiled slyly, "I lied."

"So… Someone fed this to us?" Kise continued his questions

"I suspect at the café, as even I had taken the potion."

"So… Suspects?" Aomine suggested. Everyone started thinking, but only one name came up, Haisaki.

"True, Shougo has the motive. He was really sour about being kicked out of the Generation of Miracles."

"Well, we can't really do anything about it when we're animals," Kuroko pointed out, "So why not just live with it and deal with it after?"

Everyone nodded, but Akashi was stone silent. "Akashi-kun, are you okay?" Kuroko asked.

"Everyone has someone to take care of them when they become animals…"

"Um, yes. I assume you do too?"

Akashi stared at his lap. "My parents are out on a business trip in Europe."

"Oh," Kuroko quietly said. Looking up, everyone has faces that said 'I don't know what to do either'.

"You still have your servants, yes?"

"But they wouldn't have the time to stick beside me the whole time. They have the house to take care of."

"Your team members?"

"I'm… not too sure about that?"

"You can give them a call. Maybe they can all take turns?"

Akashi gave Kuroko a little smile, "Perhaps I might try that, thank you Tetsuya."

Kise sighed and flopped on Aomine's lap. Curious, the power forward scratched the back of Kise's animal ears. Kise squeaked and sat up. "What?" Aomine asked Kise with questioning eyes.

"Nothing, just felt…"

"Vulnerable?" Akashi suggested.

"I think so?"

"Daiki, Ryouta's a fox, a predator. You should never touch his head so suddenly."

"Okay," Aomine nodded. Yeah sure, it made sense. He  _was_ a predator before.

"Wait a minute," Akashi frowned.

"Hmm?" Aomine questionably hummed.

"Ryouta's a fox?"

"Well, it seems like it. You also said so yourself, and you're never wrong."

"Oh dear."

"What? What's wrong?"

"Foxes have their mating season in winter."

All eyes turned to look at Kise. The small forward was currently frozen in shock. "E-excuse me?"

"I will repeat myself, given that I am in a kind mood. Foxes go into heat during the winter."

Kise gulped and Aomine smirked. "Seems like we're grounded, babe," Aomine chuckled and Kise sighed, flopping back into Aomine's lap bonelessly.

* * *

Kuroko had helped Akashi call his teammates, telling him about his condition and asking them if they were willing to accompany him during the timespan that he was a lion. Meanwhile, Kise had called Kasamatsu.

"Senpai?" Kise said into the phone.

"What do you want, Kise?" Kasamatsu replied.

"Ah well, just informing you that I can't come for practice tomorrow and the day after. Well, I can't go for school either."

"What? Why?"

Aomine plucked the phone out of Kise's fingers and pushed him away when he tried to retrieve it, "How do you expect him to play or write when he has no fingers?"

"No fingers? What's going on, Aomine?" Kasamatsu sounded angry.

"Ahh! Aominecchi! Give the phone back to me!" Kise yelled as he tried to claw the phone out of Aomine's grip.

"No way, this is too precious to let up."

"What's too precious?" Kasamatsu said in a demanding tone.

"The thing that I'm about to tell you next."

"Just what the hell is it?!"

"Give me a moment," Aomine put the phone down without ending it and faced Kise in a crouch. Faking to his left, Kise followed and moved to block him, but Aomine swerved into the opposite direction and ran past Kise and into the toilet. Locking the door, he chuckled as Kise caught up and banged on the door yelling his name.

"Right, no annoying Kise. Now, I was planning to bring him down after he had turned like what he did to me but…"

"Turned? Turned into what? He's turning into something?" Kasamatsu sounded confused.

"He got turned into a fox. I was planning to bring him to school during practice, but I can't do that now."

"He was  _turned into a fox?!"_ Kasamatsu screeched into Aomine's ear. Kise was still banging at the door.

"Relax, geez. It's only temporarily, two days. Now, like I said, I can't bring him down."

"Why?!"

"Because he's going to start humping everything, or everyone," Aomine said the latter under his breath, "and you really don't want that."

"Humpi—why would he be humping stuff?"

"Because he would be in heat." Aomine grinned as he heard Kise shriek his name.

"… Is this a prank?"

"Nope, absolutely 100% truth. You can come down to see us if you don't believe me."

"… Put Kise on the phone."

* * *

Kise gave up on banging the door because his fists hurt and continued yelling instead. When the door finally opened, the phone was in front of him.

"He wants to talk to you," Aomine said, handing him the phone and walking back to the living room.

"Hello, senpai?"

"Kise," The model heard his senior say.

"Urgh, I'm going to kill that Aominecchi."

"Is it true though?"

"… Yeah."

Kise heard Kasamatsu sigh. "Just don't… hurt yourself or anything. We have a tournament coming up."

"Right. Will do that."

They hung up, and Kise glared at Aomine with killing intent. "I can't believe you did that," Kise murmured to Aomine. "I can't believe you couldn't believe that I wouldn't do that," Aomine grinned.

"Daiki, you shouldn't tease Ryouta too much," Akashi sighed. He thought his parent-like responsibility for those two had ended in middle school, but apparently he was wro… mistaken.

"But he's so fun to tease," Aomine gave a cheeky, toothy grin and Akashi just rolled his eyes.

"I think," Akashi said after a thought, "that as long as you two… mate while Kise is in heat, he wouldn't have to stay cooped up in here."

Aomine made a weird, disgusted face, "I'm not fucking a fox!"

Akashi groaned internally, "Mind your language, Daiki. He's not a fox now, he should be beginning to feel the heat come soon, but it's just a guess."

"It's not a good idea to keep Kise here too, since this is Takao-kun's house and Midorima-kun would be staying here as well," Himuro pointed out, "What with the whole predator-prey thing, since Midorima-kun's a rabbit."

"Do foxes eat rabbits?" Takao asked nervously.

"Yes they do," Kuroko replied.

"Kise! Stay away from my Shin-chan!" Takao yelled, defending the shooting guard.

"I wouldn't want to eat Midorimacchi either!" Kise yelled back, puffing out his cheeks.

Murasakibara yawned as he continued snacking, devouring snack after snack. "Atsushi, you know you can't eat the snacks when you turn into a bear right?" Himuro chuckled as he saw Murasakibara's shocked expression.

"Aominecchi? Can I make a request?"

"What?"

"Can I not be fed raw meat?"

"Then what do you want?"

"Cooked meat."

"… You like making my life troublesome, do you?"

"You were a lot of trouble when you were a panther!"

" _You still fed me raw meat anyways!_ And all I did was sleep most of the time!

"I still don't want to eat raw meat!"

"Trust me, it'll all be the same once it goes down."

"Gross! No!"

"Aomine-kun, Kise-kun, I suggest you two go back before you two annoy Akashi-kun too much," Kuroko said after observing the slight twitch under Akashi's eye, "And who knows when Kise-kun will start to be feeling the heat."

Soon, Kise rushed Aomine home, and Murasakibara and Himuro followed soon after.

Akashi stood to leave, his driver waiting outside. "I'm going to go off then. I have to pick up Reo on the way home. He agreed to come and accompany me."

The rest of the 4 basketball players nodded and said their goodbyes.

Akashi walked out the gate, but not before opening up his umbrella and holding it low first and holding his tail low so its not so noticeable.

He rounded the corner and got into the black car that was waiting for him. Giving the driver instructions, the car started moving and Akashi relaxed in the back seat.

* * *

15 minutes later, the car rolled to a stop. Akashi's driver turned and looked behind. "Akashi-sama, we have arrived at Mibuchi-sama's residence," The driver said as he unlocked the door, "Shall I get him for you?"

Akashi got his umbrella that was propped against the chair, "No, it's okay, I'll go. Keep the engine running."

The driver gave a polite reply as Akashi stepped out of the car and opened his umbrella. Ringing the doorbell, Akashi waited for someone to open the door.

A lady opened the door.  _Reo's mother,_ Akashi presumed and politely asked, "Good afternoon. Is Reo in?"

"Ah, just give him a moment, he's coming down," The lady gave the red-haired teen a smile before turning back and shouting "Reo! Your friend is here!"

Mibuchi came down with a small sling bag. "Sei-chan! Thanks for picking me up!"

He said goodbye to his mother and they both boarded the car.

Mibuchi chuckled in the car after taking a good look at Akashi. "Sei-chan, you look very cute."

Akashi gave him a glare and an annoyed look, "Don't ever call me that, Reo."

"Why ever not?"

"Because I didn't want to be like this," Akashi said softly as he picked up his tail and started analyzing it.

"So even the great Akashi Seijurou can be taken by surprise?"

"I'm a human being, Reo."

Mibuchi looked shocked. "No!" He said in a shocked sarcastic voice.

Akashi glared at him once more and he shut up. Soon the silence became unbearable for Mibuchi and he had no choice but to ask, "Who's coming with you tomorrow after practice?"

Akashi sighed, "Kotaro."

"Oh. That's uhm… Wow. I'm sorry I couldn't make it tomorrow," Mibuchi winced. Hayama was someone you don't really want to have a sleepover with. His adrenaline high lasts  _forever._

"So… I take it that you have to eat meat?" Mibuchi raised an eyebrow.

"Well," Akashi said, a thoughtful look on his face, "I think some vegetables are fine, I do still want to keep in shape."

"Do I have to inform your…" Mibuchi frowned, as he didn't know how to call Akashi's servants without sounding too insulting to the party.

"Servants? Oh no, I have already told them that their schedule should not be broken. They will still serve me my food at the same time and carry out their duties as usual."

Mibuchi was about to say something but decided to nod instead. Who knows? Maybe he will know something about the fearless leader during this time period of when he becomes a lion. Then Mibuchi thought about just  _how big_ Akashi was going to be if he was going to turn into a lion. And how he'd look like.


End file.
